


I'm Always Down To Hide With You

by Thebonemoose



Series: Magnus and Lukas (beans and books, babey!) [4]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Asexual Jonathan Sims, Harold They're Lesbians Meme, Jealous Martin Blackwood, Misunderstandings, Multi, Pining Martin Blackwood, coffee shop/bookstore au, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:35:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23804728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thebonemoose/pseuds/Thebonemoose
Summary: Martin assumes Georgie and Jon are dating. He is sorely mistaken.
Relationships: Georgie Barker & Jonathan Sims, Georgie Barker & Tim Stoker, Georgie Barker/Melanie King, Martin Blackwood & Jonathan Sims, Martin Blackwood & Sasha James, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims, The Admiral & Jonathan Sims
Series: Magnus and Lukas (beans and books, babey!) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1688632
Comments: 50
Kudos: 344





	I'm Always Down To Hide With You

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back (hopefully)! As always, the idea for this au originated in a tma discord server I am in, shoutout to those folks :-)  
> The title comes from the song June by Florence and The Machine and has no bearing on the fic at all.  
> This is part of a series, so if you're just joining the train now I recommend reading the previous fics in order for it to make sense. Or don't, live your truth. 
> 
> Aaaaanywho this was very fun to write and is probably my favorite one yet. I'll start the next one sometime soon, be on the lookout for it in May!

Martin smiled absently as he wiped down the counter. The mid-morning rush would probably be coming soon, but for now the shop was mostly empty. Jon was sweeping underneath some tables, grumbling something about disrespectful customers dropping crumbs everywhere. They didn’t even technically have to sweep until closing, but Jon couldn’t stand the mess.

Martin couldn’t lie, it was very endearing. 

His relationship with Jon was improving-- albeit at a snail’s pace-- since he’d begun working at the coffee shop. He and Tim still switched shifts every so often, just for fun, but four out of five working days were spent at the coffee shop. 

He liked it. He liked being able to talk to people every day. The bookstore was nice, and it was good to be secluded sometimes, but Martin privately figured he shouldn’t be alone that much. It… made him want to isolate himself, to close himself off. And he didn’t want to be that kind of person. Not like…

Well. Not like his mum. 

Martin shook his head, let out a purposefully cheery sort of exhale, then deposited the rag in the kitchen in the back. Jon was just coming out from putting the broom away, and he and Martin began that awkward, half-dance of two people going opposite directions.

“Sorry,” Martin chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. He stepped aside. 

Jon smiled a quick, polite smile. “It’s alright,” he said, then walked back out to the counter. 

At the risk of sounding like a lovesick fool...Martin adored those little smiles. He knew they weren’t genuine, that they were just to be polite. Jon was just humoring Tim’s request that he ‘not be a dick to Martin anymore’. 

But Martin clung to them like stars in the dark; tiny, twinkling pinpricks of foolish hope. It was dumb, he knew. But it was what Martin could do with the cards he was given. So every day, he lived in the hope that Jon would smile at him again, and Martin could see sunshine indoors, even for half a second. 

The door in the front chimed, and Martin shook himself out of his romantic stupor and joined Jon in the front. 

Their newest customer was a tall, dark-skinned black woman, grinning a radiant smile at Jon. Martin furrowed his brows, and watched Jon, who was looking at her entirely unimpressed. He was taking her order at the register, one eyebrow raised.

“Yes, Jon, I know it’s going to be extra. Just take my damn order,” she smiled, all fondness.

Martin felt his heart clench. Clearly, this woman was familiar with Jon. 

He grumbled something in return, and motioned for her to go on with her order. 

The woman then said a series of coffee-related words, many of which were completely incongruous, like “iced hot latte foamy frozen cappuccino mocha with no chocolate.”

Jon sighed, and took the order diligently, then gave the woman her total, a figure which made Martin nearly choke on his own tongue. 

She smiled sweetly, said “Love you, Jon!” and took her receipt. 

Martin’s breath stuttered. She was more than just familiar to him, then. She was, in all likelihood, his girlfriend. 

He should’ve known, really. He was so focused on his own despair he almost didn’t hear Jon’s deadpan, “I hate you, Georgie.”

“Nah, you could never hate me. You know, I’ve got new videos of The Admiral. Do you think you can bear to consort with the enemy long enough to watch him be adorable?”

Jon sighed like it was a huge ask, then solemnly nodded. “Yes. Yes, I suppose I can,” he said, and finished making Georgie’s impossible drink. She handed Jon her phone, so he could begin the video. Martin couldn’t see it, but he heard a cat meowing, and judging by the way Jon’s face softened almost imperceptibly, The Admiral was the cat in question.

Jon dropped his guard long enough to let out a fond chuckle when the cat did something particularly adorable, and Martin felt his heart drop. Here was Jon, making the softest, fondest face, and it was for her. For Georgie. Martin couldn’t even find it in himself to hate her; she was clearly an amazing person. How else had she gotten Jon to warm up to her?

In Martin’s opinion, she didn’t seem like the type to resort to blackmail. 

Georgie, meanwhile, finally took a sip of her caffeine monstrosity, pulled a face, and groaned. “Jon, you made this perfectly.”

“I know.”

“It’s revolting.”

“I know.”

“You should give me a free one.” She smiled sweetly. 

“Get out of my coffee shop.”

She laughed. “Rude! I want to speak to a manager.”

Jon was unfazed at her antics. “I’m the manager, get out of my store.”

“I want to speak to a different manager.”

“I’m the only manager.”

“Well, who’s that?” Georgie asked, and pointed directly to Martin. 

“That’s Martin. He is _not_ a manager.”

“Introduce us anyways,” she said, smiling. Jon sighed, and turned to Martin.

“Martin, this is Georgie. Georgie, this is Martin.”

“Hi Martin!” Georgie said, and waved. 

Martin couldn’t find it in himself to be anything less than lovely to her. 

“Hi, Georgie. Nice to meet you,” he said politely, and she grinned. 

Jon huffed, like Martin and Georgie interacting was some great inconvenience to him. 

“Be quiet, you,” Georgie teased, and walked towards Martin. “So,” she said conspiratorially, lowering her voice to a stage whisper. “What’s it like working with Jon?”

Martin raised his eyebrows. “Honestly?”

Georgie nodded. 

“He’s a nightmare. Absolute worst person I’ve ever worked with.”

Georgie lit up like Martin had given her a gift. “Jon! You never told me Martin was so funny!” she cried, looking at Martin with delight. 

Martin’s heart stuttered. Jon had talked to Georgie about him?

“My mistake,” Jon replied, deadpan. 

“Do you want to see a video of my cat?” Georgie asked, and Martin didn’t even think before agreeing.

She showed him the same video from earlier, of The Admiral in question.

He wasn’t even really doing much, just moving around and meowing, being unearthly cute, and laying down in spots of sunlight. 

“I love him,” Martin said plainly, and Georgie nodded.

“He’s a true, heaven-sent angel.”

“Can you stop harassing my coworkers, please?” Jon called from the other side of the counter. 

“You’re no fun!” Georgie said, sticking her tongue out at him. Jon made a ‘harrumph!’ type of noise that was very undignified, and very adorable, and Martin had to swallow down a wave of affection for the man, especially right in front of his _girlfriend_.

Georgie did comply, though, saying a friendly farewell to Martin and then blowing a flirtatious kiss to Jon. She did not take her Franken-drink with her. 

“Ignore her,” Jon said somewhat darkly, once she had gone. 

“She seems nice,” Martin said in lieu of a reply.

“She’s a nuisance, is what she is.”

“How long have you two known each other?”

Jon seemed surprised by the question. “Since university, actually.”

“That’s a long time. I guess you guys are close, huh?” Martin remarked, hoping desperately that his voice sounded nonchalant. 

“Yes. Yes, I guess we are,” Jon replied, his voice sounding almost distant. 

Martin let the conversation die naturally, and shortly after that the rush began, so Jon and Martin had their hands full. 

Martin kept thinking about that woman, though. About Georgie, and Jon, and their adorable cat. He should just give up now, shouldn’t he? Stop fantasizing about Jon falling madly in love with him; stop hoping and wishing for a genuine smile from him. 

From there on out, they were friendly coworkers, and nothing more. 

“Marto!” Tim grinned and winked at Martin as they passed each other. Tim was in the coffee shop today, so Martin and Sasha would have the opportunity to catch up.

Martin smiled and waved to Tim, and he did finger guns back. Martin came up behind Sasha and announced his presence with a bright “Hi, Sasha!” which made her jump. 

“Shit, Martin! We need to get you a bell or something,” she said, one hand pressed to her chest. 

“Oh, sorry.”

She waved him away. “It’s alright. Anyways, how are you?”

“Good! My heart is broken into a million sharp fragments, but other than that, I’m just dandy,” he said cheerfully. 

Sasha sucked her teeth. “Oh. That sounds… bad,” she finished lamely. 

Martin sighed. “I won’t lie, it’s not great.”

“Why don’t you fill me in while we shelve books? And afterwards I’ll tell you about our new hire, she’s coming in later.”

Martin agreed, and carried an armful of books alongside Sasha. 

“Alright, here’s what happened. Yesterday, I was working alongside Jon, like I do everyday. And because I’m a hopeless romantic, I will admit there may have been some… fantastical daydreams in which he was very much in love with me. But really, that’s neither here nor there.”

Sasha looked at him skeptically. 

“Anyways, we had this little… non-moment,” he said. 

“A non-moment?”

“Like, that weird dance you do when you and someone else are going opposite directions in the same small space? That was our non-moment. He just was polite, and I stepped out of his way, and that was it. But, as I have mentioned--”

“You’re a hopeless romantic,” Sasha filled in. Martin nodded tiredly. 

“Then I come back out to the front and see Jon talking with this woman who is tall and nice and beautiful and has an adorable cat, and--”

“How do you know all this?”

He held up a finger. “I’m getting to it. Basically, she ordered a crazy and impossible drink, and Jon made it and she was being so cutesy and flirtatious, and he was being all… deadpan? I guess? You know how he acts when Tim is being particularly friendly towards him?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“So the way they were both acting-- I mean, it’s obvious they know each other. She told Jon to introduce us, so he did, and her name is Georgie, and she has a really adorable cat named The Admiral, and I love him, and she’s so nice and amazing, and I want really badly to hate her but I just can’t!” he finished in a rush, then leaned against a book stack dejectedly. 

Sasha patted his arm, a sympathetic look on her face. “I’m sorry, Martin. What are you planning on doing?”

He shrugged. “Not much to do, really. This whole thing with Jon was completely one-sided, anyways. I guess I’ll just wallow in low-level misery until I get over it,” he said. 

She furrowed her brows. “Um… is that healthy?”

“I doubt it.”

“So… completely unrelated… I see this therapist… um, can I give you her number?” Sasha offered, grimacing. 

Martin laughed through his nose. “Sure, Sasha. That sounds good.” 

She texted him the number, followed by several hearts, and he saved the number for another day. 

“Okay, tell me about the new hire,” Martin said, smiling. 

Sasha complied. “Well, her name is Melanie. She’s probably around our age, and didn’t seem too enthusiastic about working in a bookshop, but I think she’s a cool person anyways,” Sasha said, and then told Martin about how Peter Lukas let Elias do the interview, but Elias didn’t want to, so he let Sasha have complete hiring power.

Martin raised his eyebrows. “Really? That seems… generally irresponsible,” he commented and Sasha nodded. 

“Oh, definitely. But I liked her, so fuck it, right?” Sasha shrugged. 

“Does the bookstore even need another employee?” Martin asked, frowning. He scanned the aisles. The only other person in the entire store seemed to be Peter Lukas, in his second-floor office. 

“No, it definitely doesn’t. But it gets lonely sometimes, even with Tim here. Plus it’s not as if there’s any shortage of money in the budget,” she snorted. 

Martin had to agree. Magnus and Lukas fell short in many ways, but their pockets were deep.

“Will you need me? If Melanie is here?” Martin asked suddenly. 

Sasha froze halfway into shelving a book. “I guess not. Hm,” she frowned. 

“Can I come anyways?” Martin couldn’t keep the hopeful note out of his voice. 

Sasha smiled instantly. “Yes,” she said definitively. “What are they going to do, fire us?”

Martin blanched. “I can’t afford to be fired right now, Sash,” he said.

She frowned. “No, me neither. I really hope they don’t fire us,” Sasha nodded emphatically. 

They shelved books in a somewhat uneasy silence after that. 

“Alright, bye Mel, enjoy your first day of work!” Georgie sang as she and Melanie walked into the coffee shop. Melanie rolled her eyes but gave Georgie’s hand a squeeze, and then she walked towards the bookstore in the back. 

Georgie smiled after her for a moment, then turned to Tim behind the counter. 

“Hello, Tim!” she greeted.

He smiled cheerfully at her. “Georgie! What can I get you today?”

She glanced at the menu for a moment, then shrugged. “Just an iced coffee, I think.”

“You got it. Room for cream?” he asked, ringing her up. 

She nodded, and he went to make her drink.

“Jon’s off today?” she asked after a moment, looking around the empty shop. 

Tim shook his head. “Nah, he’s coming in soon, actually.”

“What about the barista who was here yesterday? Martin?” she asked nonchalantly.

Tim poured coffee into a plastic cup. “Oh, we switched today. He’s coming in later to help Sasha train Melanie, actually.”

Georgie hummed as Tim handed her the coffee. “Do you like Martin? He seemed pretty nice,” she said.

Tim nodded instantly. “Martin’s the best. I’d walked through fire if he asked me to,” Tim responded easily, without even a moment’s hesitation. 

Georgie hummed. “You know… I got kind of a crush vibe from him yesterday. It seemed like maybe there was something between him and Jon,” she remarked. 

“Really? From Martin’s end or Jon’s?” Tim leaned forward, his eyes bright. 

“...Martin?”

“Damn,” Tim said. “A few of us are trying to set Martin and Jon up, but we’re kind of playing the long game, here.”

“Because...Jon is obtuse?”

“Well, yes and no. Mainly it’s because Jon is kind of an ass. Unfortunately for Martin, he likes ass.”

Georgie frowned. She narrowed her eyes. 

“Did… did you mean to--”

“Entirely unintentional,” Tim replied, without emotion. 

Georgie raised her cup to her mouth and took a sip. “Well,” she began. “In any case, I wish you luck on your matchmaking journey, and please let me know if I can do anything to help,” she said. Tim nodded and smiled mischievously. 

Georgie moved to go sit down, but just then the door opened, and a harried-looking Jon came through it. He seemed slightly surprised to see Georgie, and gave her a curt hello. Then he walked round the counter and disappeared into the back before re-emerging a moment later, clad in his apron and a visor. 

“Hey, boss,” Tim greeted.

Jon looked at him from the corner of his eye. “Tim,” he replied. 

Georgie caught Tim’s eye, and he quirked his head towards Jon, widening his eyes slightly. 

Well, you didn’t need to tell her twice. 

“So, Jon,” she began. He looked up at her. “What do you think of Martin?”

He looked up at her, frowning slightly. “Er… You’d better not,” he said carefully after a moment. 

Tim looked intrigued. 

“Better not what?” Georgie asked easily. 

“...Pursue Martin,” he said slowly, as if it were obvious. 

Georgie raised her eyebrows. “Right! Of course. Well, alright, I won’t, but I do feel an explanation is due.”

Jon sighed, and bit the inside of his cheek. “I don’t think you two would be a good match,” he answered. 

Tim, meanwhile, was looking at Georgie with eyes as wide as saucers. Jon, thankfully, had not noticed. 

Georgie nodded solemnly, as if she were taking his words to heart. “Right, right. Fair enough. Aside from that, what do you think of him as a person?”

“Well, the quality of his work has vastly improved. The customers like him, he’s friendly and prompt. And he’s easy to work with… Unlike _some_ people,” Jon said, looking directly at Tim. 

Tim pouted. “Come on, Jon. You love me.”

“Does a horse love a fly?” Jon asked, an eyebrow raised. 

“Yes, and then they get married, and have babies, and that’s how we have horseflies!” Tim finished with a grin. 

Georgie stifled a snort, and Jon looked at her warningly.

“One of these days I’ll seduce you, and we’ll live happily ever after!”

“I’m asexual.”

“One of these days I’ll seduce your heart into falling in love with me, and we’ll live happily ever after!”

“Tim, that’s really, _really_ not going to happen.”

Tim sighed dramatically. “I know. But! Hear me out… What if it _did_?”

“Oh, leave him alone,” Georgie said good naturedly. “His heart’s already been claimed, methinks,” she teased. 

Jon furrowed his brows, and looked at her suspiciously. 

Tim caught on quick. “Oh, you’re right, Georgie! How could I _possibly_ have been so mistaken?”

“I don’t know what you two think you’re doing, but I want it known that I hate it.”

“Oh, we know,” Georgie said easily.

Jon grumbled, and began refilling containers of freeze-dried strawberries.

Tim and Georgie shared a look. Then the door opened, and in walked Martin, carrying a bag. Tim and Georgie grinned at each other, and in a brilliant moment of near-telepathy, both said “HI, MARTIN!” as cheerful and loudly as they possibly could, at the exact same time. 

Martin and Jon both flinched. Martin, looking quite nervous indeed, slowly walked further into the shop. “Um... Hello?” he replied, a wary expression on his face. His shoulders were still tense. “I’m just… coming back from an errand…” he explained.

Nobody had asked. Tim and Georgie made eye contact. 

“Hello, Martin,” Jon said, his voice a bit quiet. 

Georgie and Tim both turned to him, surprised. 

Martin nodded to him, a small smile on his face. “Jon,” he said in greeting, and then pointed to the bookshop entrance, and hurried in. 

The shop was silent for a moment. 

“Well!” Georgie announced, looking at Jon proudly. “I have to say, that was unexpected. Very happy for you, though, Jon.” she smiled.

He furrowed his brows. “What on earth are you talking about?”

Tim clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Boss,” he said. “All will become clear in time.”

Jon exhaled sharply through his nose. “Get back to work, Stoker,” he said, shrugging off Tim’s hand and disappearing into the back. 

Tim turned to Georgie, an expression of victory tinging his features. “Oh, _very_ well done, Georgie! I had no idea I was in the presence of a true master!”

Georgie shook her head. “No no, Tim, it’s you who is the master. Your ability to play Jon like a whistle is frankly, awe-inspiring.”

“Oh, it’s easier than it looks, I assure you,” he insisted. 

“Listen, Tim, if you and yours need any, and I mean _any_ help with this matchmaking business, you come straight to me. I am _very_ interested in seeing how this all plays out,” she told him.

“Yes, ma’am!” He saluted.

She raised her coffee cup in farewell, and walked out of the shop.

Jon was not a fan of whatever was going on between Tim and Georgie. Everytime she accompanied Melanie into work (which, truthfully, was always), she stayed to chat cryptically to Tim about a topic which she point-blank refused to explain. 

It was incredibly infuriating. 

Tim was no help, either. Whenever Jon asked him, he’d just wink and say something that was somehow both cryptic and flirtatious. Then he and Georgie would laugh, or, if Georgie had left by then, Tim would just laugh to himself. Which was obnoxious. Very, _very_ obnoxious. 

Today, though, Martin had been in instead of Tim, thankfully. For the entire past week, Martin had helped Sasha train Melanie (although why two people were required to train someone whose very position there was extraneous, Jon did not know). This meant that Jon had been dealing with Tim for five days straight. 

Had he always been that annoying? Jon couldn’t remember. 

In any case, Melanie and Georgie came in holding hands, like they usually did. Jon knew they were roommates, but he hadn’t known they were such close friends, too. Jon was glad; Georgie had often complained about not having many female friends when they were dating. 

Granted, that was several years ago, but still. He was happy for her. 

Martin had stared wide-eyed at Melanie and Georgie as Melanie walked into the bookstore, and Jon thought he saw Georgie shoot Martin a wink, but he probably imagined it. What reason would Georgie have to be winking at Martin? She’d already agreed not to ask him out.

Thankfully. 

Martin gaped the entire time that Georgie ordered her coffee, and the entire time that Jon spent making it, and then he gaped a bit more after Georgie had left. 

“You’ll catch flies,” Jon said simply, one eyebrow raised. 

Martin’s mouth closed with a click. He looked down, his brows furrowed, his expression pensive. 

Jon shook his head, and set about cleaning out the ice maker. 

“Jon?” he heard. 

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you a question?”

Jon stood from where he was crouched, and looked to Martin. “I suppose,” he said slowly.

Martin’s eyes were narrowed in concentration, and he seemed to be reworking the question in his mind before he asked it. At last, he spoke. “Are… are you and Melanie also in a relationship, or are Georgie and you and Georgie and Melanie like, separate?”

Jon stared at Martin for a long moment.

Martin fidgeted slightly, casting nervous glances around the room. 

“Um, you don’t have to answer if it’s too personal--” Martin began, but Jon interrupted. 

“Martin,” he said. “What in the goddamn hell are you talking about?”

Martin blinked, probably surprised at Jon’s language. “Uh… Just… are you like a V with Georgie at the center, or is it more of a triangle?”

“Martin, I’ll ask again. What in the goddamn hell are you talking about?”

Martin frowned. “You and Georgie, and Georgie and Melanie. Because you and Georgie are in a relationship,” he said slowly, “and Georgie and Melanie are also in a relationship. So are you and Melanie together, or not?”

Jon gawped. “Martin, Georgie and I are not together.”

Martin frowned. “Y- you’re not?”

He shook his head.“No. We dated in university, but that was years ago. We’re just friends, and so are Melanie and Georgie.”

Martin’s expression became closed off. “Right, well you could have just said you didn’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to make fun of me,” he said crossly.

Jon’s eyes widened. “Martin-- what? Martin, I’m confused. I’m not making fun of you. I’m being honest. Georgie and I are not together, neither are Melanie and Georgie. And for the record, Melanie and I are also not together.”

Martin bit his lip “What, seriously?”

Jon nodded.

“Okay, you and Georgie are just friends, got it. You and Melanie are also not together, sure. But Melanie and Georgie are dating, Jon,” Martin insisted. 

“No they’re not, they’re roommates. Best friends, maybe.”

Martin stared. “Jon… They’re gay.”

He rolled his eyes. “Well, yes, I knew that.”

“No, Jon. They’re gay… _together_. They are dating. They live together because they are girlfriends. Aren’t you friends with Georgie? How did you not know that?”

Jon bristled. “Of course we’re friends! And I… I did know that! I was just checking if you knew, too!” Jon fumbled, and Martin looked at him sketically.

“Jon, come on.”

Jon huffed. “Alright, fine! It’s possible I may have missed some...crucial news regarding my friend’s relationship status,” Jon said, with as much dignity as he could muster.

“Alright. Well.. Now we’re clear. You’re single, and Melanie and Georgie are together.”

“Just because I’m not dating Georgie or Melanie doesn’t mean I’m single,” Jon remarked. 

Martin blinked. “...Are you single, Jon?”

“Well… yes. But I could be in a relationship!”

Martin started giggling. And then he didn’t stop giggling. 

“What are you laughing about? I could!”

Martin tried to speak, but he just kept laughing. He put a hand on the counter to brace himself and he leaned over, one arm over his middle.”

“Seriously!? Is it that hard to believe?” Jon was kind of offended.

Martin shook his head furiously, but his guffaws continued. He had tears in his eyes. 

Jon threw his hands up. “Alright, well how about you tell me when you’re done, and I’ll just stand here like an ass until then.” He crossed his arms. 

Martin was laughing so hard he snorted, and then his knees began to buckle, and he almost collapsed, but Jon reached forward and grabbed his biceps before he could. 

That seemed to startle Martin out of his hysterics, and his eyes widened. His face was flushed as he looked at Jon, and Jon noticed for the first time how close they were. He could see Martin’s freckles from here.

He cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly and released Martin, stepping back to put more space between them. Martin blinked and shook his head.

“So?”

Martin furrowed his brows. “So what?”

“What was so funny?”

“Oh, right. Sorry. It’s just,” Martin chuckled, and for a moment Jon feared he would begin laughing again. But he didn’t. “You just sounded so ridiculous? Like it was imperative to you that i understood you _could_ be in a relationship, but chose not to. It came off very.. discordant, I guess? Like it didn’t fit every other interaction I’ve had with you, which is what was so funny.”

Jon wasn’t sure how we felt about that. But Martin was smiling again, and that was probably a good thing, right? So Jon leaned into it. 

“Well,” he said, pretending to be grumpy. “I really could.”

Martin’s ensuing grin made something in Jon feel warm, and happy. 

He decided not to analyze it. 

They got busy after that, but Jon found himself glancing over at Martin every so often, watching him interact with customers, or make drinks, or clean. He wasn’t sure why he was doing it, but every time he tried to stop, he just found himself looking over a minute later. 

Eventually the workday ended, and after closing and saying goodbye to Martin, Jon began the walk to his flat.

His phone buzzed, and Jon took it out to see a text from Georgie. 

Georgie: Good news, Jon! I’ve cleared it with the powers that be, and now I can bring the Admiral in as the official Lukas Books mascot!”

Jon: How? 

Jon: And also-- Why?

Georgie: How? My inspiring tenacity and good people skills. Why? So he doesn’t get lonely while I’m at the set, and so Melanie can watch him during her shifts. 

Georgie: And anyways, you should be thanking me, now you can hang out with him during work. 

Jon: Not really, it’s not very sanitary to have an animal in the coffee shop.

Jon: Although, I guess Jonah could just bribe the health inspector.

Georgie: That’s the spirit! Pun intended.

Jon: What pun?

Georgie: Spirit, like ghost. And my podcast is called What the Ghost. It’s a ghost joke.

Georgie: That’s my favorite kind of joke.

Jon: Good lord.

Georgie: Also, I lied earlier.

Jon: About?

Georgie: My tenacity and people skills. I mean, I do have both of those. But would you like to know how I really persuaded the higher-ups to let me bring the Admiral in?

Jon: I have a feeling you’re going to tell me, anyways.

Georgie: Correct. I scheduled an appointment with Jonah Magnus.

Jon: …

Jon: How.

Georgie: Went to Elias, then to James, then to Peter.

Jon: What did they say?

Georgie: Elias was on board from the get-go, probably because I approached him while he was baked. All I had to do was show him a picture and he was begging me to bring the Admiral in. James was a bit tricker, but not by much. I just showed him the instagram account I made the Admiral, and he figured the Admiral’s popularity would be good for the company’s image. 

Jon: And Peter?

Georgie: I just walked into his office, and before I said anything, he told me he’d let me have whatever I wanted as long as I didn’t bother him. 

Jon: Wow. 

Georgie: So that made seeing Jonah VERY easy. All I had to do was bring the Admiral in, leave his crate in Jonah’s office while I “took a very important phone call” and Jonah was in-- hook, line, and sinker.

Georgie: Jonah Magnus loves very few things in life. Among those are money, renown, and, perhaps most importantly, cats.

Georgie: I gave them a few minutes alone, and right before I came in, I took a video of Jonah talking to Admiral in a baby voice. It was... INCREDIBLY disturbing, but I figured that would be my blackmail if for some reason it didn’t work. 

Jon: You’re an evil genius.

Jon: You’re in the wrong line of work, you should be a spy.

Georgie: But then I couldn’t manage a social media account for my cat :(

Jon: That’s… fair, I suppose. 

[Read 9:14 PM]

As it turned out, Georgie was an angel, a saint, a hero, a treasure, and a star.

While the Admiral was, officially, the bookstore’s mascot, he frequently escaped from under Melanie’s watchful eye to say hello to Jon and spend some time lounging around the coffee shop.

This usually meant he was leaning against Jon and purring contentedly, or meowing dejectedly when Jon put him in the back room so he could fix drinks. In an unexpected but welcome twist, Martin even offered to cover for Jon sometimes, so he could check on the Admiral.

Jon always accepted without hesitation. Unfortunately, this meant Martin usually had to come into the back to gently remind Jon to do his damn Job. 

On one notable occasion, Martin interrupted Jon in the middle of a story to the Admiral about a particularly cantankerous old hag. Jon had gotten into it, detailing exactly why Jon despised this woman in particular. The Admiral was being a very active listener, and meowing at all the right times. Martin began giggling, which finally made Jon realize that he and the Admiral were being observed. 

He flushed, and gently removed the Admiral from his lap. The Admiral protested, but Jon ignored him in favor of running away from Martin and living as a hermit on an island off the coast of Scotland. 

At least, that’s how it went in his fantasies. In reality, he went back to work, and ignored Martin’s grin, his face still a flaming red. 

Nikola and Annabelle came in later that same day, to Jon’s chagrin. They were his least favorite customers. Well, among his least favorite customers. 

As soon as they ordered, Jon began making their drinks, both sickeningly sweet concoctions with entirely too many pumps of caramel. When he turned around to hand them their coffees, he saw Tim whispering furiously with Nikola and Annabelle. 

This was suspicious for many reasons, namely: the only person who hated Nikola more than Jon was Tim. For him to voluntarily interact with her at any time was highly suspect.

It put a sour taste in Jon’s mouth. 

Jon walked to Martin and leaned in. “Do you know what they’re talking about?” he whispered, and Martin squeaked. 

Jon frowned. 

“Er, n-nope! Don’t think I do, sorry,” Martin stammered. 

Then he saw Annabelle look at him with glee, and hit Tim’s arm with the back of her hand. She pointed to Jon and Martin, and Tim and Nikola both looked over. They each grinned the same wide, manic grins, and Jon was quite certain he had never been more afraid. 

“Well, that’s worrying,” Jon had said to himself, and Martin began giggling in a way that came off as anxious and more than slightly unhinged. 

Jon resolved to keep an eye on Tim, Nikola, and Annabelle. Perhaps he could ask Sasha about it. 

Martin cleared his throat, his cheeks pink, and Jon realized he was still quite close to Martin. He went back to the other side of the counter, and glanced at his coworker. 

Martin seemed to be breathing out a sigh of relief and muttering quietly to himself. 

_Hmm. I should keep an eye on Martin, too, while I’m at it,_ he thought. Better safe than sorry, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> There you have it. Thank you so much for reading, feel absolutely free to drop a comment or a kudos if you enjoyed it, and I'll see you in the next one :-)


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